


PYRE

by sombreset



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Major character death tag added to be safe but there is minor character death, Mild alcohol usage as well as smoking, More tags to be added later I just prefer to overtag these sorts of things vs not, Past Prideshipping, Past/Referenced Child Abuse, Self-Destructive Behavior, Slow Burn, Sun God Atem and Ocean God Seto, This story takes place in the late 70's/early 80's, he's the hero, lots of swearing, this is Yugi's journey and is mostly told from his perspective, this story is a prequel to Obsidian but both stories can be read separately
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:02:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28488006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sombreset/pseuds/sombreset
Summary: All his life Yugi was haunted by the stories his grandfather told him. Stories of two creation gods from an ancient and outdated belief system, and The Place, where one of them was frozen to stone and waiting to be found. Years after his grandfather passed and the nightmares seemingly stopped, Yugi did his best to not look back at the unsettling tales and instead preferred wasting his days away with his best friend and housemate Jonouchi....Until the nightmares returned and lead him stumbling down a hill to The Place, and he found himself face to face with an old bronze casing containing the fabled Sun God himself: Atem.
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler & Mutou Yuugi, Mazaki Anzu | Tea Gardner/Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi | Atem
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. 1979

**Author's Note:**

> Finally I get to start posting this story! I've been working on it for quite some time now and I'm excited to share it with you all! As mentioned in the tags, this story is a prequel to another story I have, Obsidian, and therefore both stories contain spoilers for one another. If you're interested in both, I'd suggest catching up on Obsidian first and then reading this story, as a lot of the mystery behind Yugi's character and the gods in Obsidian is inherently spoiled by this story. That being said, both stories can be treated as standalone stories and no context from either is necessary to enjoy the other.  
> This is the first big multichap I've started in the last few years, so I really appreciate any and all comments and support!  
> Like with all of my other stories, I will also post individual warnings for each chapter as I see necessary. 
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: Abstract depictions of violence, language, references to past child abuse.
> 
> Once again, thank you for giving this story a read.

  


_The forest stretched out before him as a craggy angered corridor, warped like he was looking through a cheap telescope. He didn’t know how long he had been walking in the same direction. Minutes. Hours and days. No. Time didn’t exist here. Or if it did, the pointed flow of time was trapped inside a tiny marble and circling itself frantically; endlessly. There was no sun and everything looked like it belonged in one of those old monochrome movies his grandfather treasured, but everything in this overgrowth was crystal clear. Even leaves far off in the distance could be seen. He could count the tiny grey veins stretched tight against the surface of each and every one._

_In his hands was the baseball bat he had buried in his closet for years. He got it when he started playing for his high school team. Freshman year. He stuck with the sport for a while but eventually shifted his focus towards arcade machines and cars. Allegedly, he was a shitty batter anyway._

_But now?_

_Now, he needed to be the best goddamn slugger in the world._

_It was coming._

_An undefinable creature; he had no idea what it looked like or what it was. All he knew was that he could_ _feel_ _it, oh he could feel the cold in his bones as it drew near. For a second he thought he could smell it too but his nose was bleeding and he was too busy wiping the drips away with the back of his hand to smell anything but himself. As he drew his hand back his heart jumped a little. It couldn’t be blood. The smear was black as tar. But it could be…?_

_“Black and white baby,” Yugi muttered to himself. “No color here. It’s not real.” He wiped at his nose again. Knowing this place was imaginary didn’t help calm him. No, it fucking blew because there was no exit. The exit appeared when it wanted to and he was stuck here until it did._

_Down the path he went forever or a moment until there was a sharp ninety degree turn on the dirt path. Whatever it was, was around the corner. The bat shook in Yugi’s hands not only out of fear but because the air was really really cold he was fucking freezing. Nose running freely now because he couldn’t keep stopping to wipe it. His enemy was near and he needed to keep his fingers gripped uncomfortably tight on the bat. Knuckles white and thin as cellophane._

_When he turned the corner the stretching path was as endless as the one he had been traveling on before. Only one thing was different: a wooden trap door that sat maybe 20 yards away, perfectly centered in the path._

_“There you are. Found your hiding place,” Yugi spoke through chattering teeth. He acted as if and told himself that he was brave but he was truly scared enough to piss his pants._

_He nearly did when the trapdoor started shaking. The old wooden panels started to give to whatever was pushing from beneath, a thick dark sludge bubbling from between the cracks. It could’ve been blood or something else, Yugi couldn’t tell, but he thought it might be tar from the way it gooped and overflowed into the grass._

_No. No, it smelled rancid._

_Like days old death._

_The trap door finally broke open and the enemy crawled out. It was covered in the liquid-- it might’ve been made from that only, except for the bright set of pearly whites that were smiling back at Yugi. Human teeth._

_“Oh God,” Yugi mouthed in terror. Frozen from the cold and the sight before him, Yugi watched as the hellish beast began moving. Slowly at first, grabbing at the grass to propel itself forward, and then it moved faster and faster until it was a scrambling mess of limbs and splatters on the ground._

_Yugi’s brain screamed at him to move but he was starting to think that he was literally frozen solid. His cheeks stung and his toes were numb and eventually the bat fell from his stiff hands with a muffled thud._

_Oh fuck this is it, Yugi thought._

_(Maybe if it gets close enough I can munch it to death with my amazing chatter teeth)_

_He started to laugh at himself and then the beast charged toward him like a predator that only the lowest whispers of the world knew of. It leapt off the ground with an incredible amount of strength and speed, wind rushed past Yugi’s face as the beast opened its sin hands and reached for him that depth of a mouth a crypt contrasted by teeth so white and clean they were blinding stretched wide, wide open and_

_A blurred blunt force rammed into the beast from the side so hard Yugi thought for a second that it had disappeared completely. But as he turned his shaky dizzy head, slowly, he could see a trail of tar-ish in a newly bored path to his left. Both the beast and whatever had slammed into it were gone.  
  
  
_

* * *

**1979**

Yugi woke paralyzed in cold sweating fear. The transition from the dream to his own bedroom was slow and his body wouldn’t move for a minute or so. His sheets were wet from sweat and his pajamas were grossly uncomfortable, but he had left that place behind and he was ever so fucking glad. 

Part of him thought he was never going to wake at all. 

Some forever time later, he sat up and put his head in his hands. 

“Christ,” he muttered with his lips smushed into his palms. A dream like that? Never before. Never. That beastly thing in his dream felt _real_ and it felt like Yugi had been attempting to bash its brains in his whole life. That was the only thing Yugi was ever meant to do. The other presence. The one that tackled the beast like Superman gone quarterback. Somehow that felt familiar too. If Yugi didn’t know any better he’d assume someone else, like an angel or something butted their way into his dream to save him. 

That presence felt both incredibly and incredibly not belonging.

He didn’t want to tell his grandfather. The dream would only add fuel to his fire of “every dream means something (bullshit Yugi thought it was bullshit), debunked and very fictional mythological stories of old tie into this because _bullshit bullshit_ ” bullshit. The last thing grandpa needed was to try and leave the house and embark on another adventure as if he wasn’t a 78 year old man who needed constant care due to his poor health.

But maybe he’d tell Jou. Hell, maybe it would make for a really cool story for an RPG they could throw together on a weekend. Maybe… Yugi gasped and swung his clammy body out of bed and into the bathroom in the hallway. Maybe he _would_ because he fucking forgot today was his 18th birthday. It was 11AM and Yugi was about to be late for his own fucking party. 

His shower was short, time spent getting dressed and ready shorter, and he sprinted through the living room to the front door.

“Yugi?” 

_Fuck._ “Grandpa.” Yugi projected loud enough for the older man to hear, and he brought his boots with him into the living room. Might as well lace them up while entertaining the other man. Two birds with one stone oh _God_ he was running late. “Good morning.” 

He looked the living room over and the scene was ordinary. His grandfather was slouched into the couch with his feet propped on a cushioned stool, _The Price is Right_ playing on the television set across from him. 

All in all, their house wasn’t in terrible shape but it certainly was nothing special. A very, very small two bedroom one bathroom single level cul-de-sac cookie cutter house that blended into the others around it. Faux wood paneling as far as the eye could see, red shag carpeting Yugi always thought was ugly. At least the tan rug in the living room covered it nicely. Even as a kid when Yugi used to visit his grandfather (back when it was _only_ a visit) he thought the carpet looked like blood. It wasn’t until he saw _Jaws_ a few years ago that he felt actual fear stepping on it. Sure, he was well into his teenage years at that point, but the movie still scared the everloving shit out of him. Whenever he looked down he just saw bloody water. Jou gave him a _terrible_ time after they saw the movie together. Jokes and pranks. Little humiliating things. Whenever they went swimming anywhere Jou would shout “Shark!” and immediately stare for Yugi’s reaction. It wasn’t until an initially panicked fellow beachgoer and soon to be crush and friend named Anzu gave him a well deserved slap on the face that he eased up a little with the shark shit. 

The house was well furnished, most of the pieces were old things grandpa hoarded since the 30’s. Every single lamp, book, table, and object he owned was precious to him and he took very good care of everything until cleaning became too much of a backache. Then it became Yugi’s job. 

“Can you get me a Cola?” Grandpa asked in his small old voice. Eyes unmoving from the television set.

Yugi breathed out through his nose heavily. “Grandpa we talked about this. No soda pop until Patty comes over later. She’ll let you have one then, remember? You shouldn’t be drinking those anymore at all, let alone one a day.”

“Oh, alright.” A wheezy laugh. “I thought I could trick you this time.”

“Nope. Not today.” Yugi did an obligatory laugh to please his grandpa and finished lacing up his boots. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water and set it on the little end table next to the couch. He crouched down in front of his grandfather and smiled up at the contently aged face. 

“Grandpa, do you remember what day it is today?”

“...The day you let me have a Cola before noon?”

Yugi’s heart sank a little but he found the answer funny nonetheless. “Wrong. My birthday. I’m 18 today.”

Sleepy eyes widened and his grandfather’s shoulders jolted a little. “Oh! Oh, you’re right. I’m sorry, Yugi. The days fly right above my head, don’t they?”

The television sounded quietly, the audience cheering and whistling before the _beep-beep-beep-beep-beep_ of the wheel spinning, followed by a collective “ _awwww.”_ Too bad.

“A little. It’s okay though.”

“Help me up.”

“Grandpa I gotta go—“ 

“Yugi, help me up.”

“Fine,” Yugi groaned. “But we gotta make this quick. I should’ve already left for Jou’s a while ago. In fact,” he looked at the grandfather clock, “I needed to do that a half an hour ago. They’re gonna think I’m dead.” 

“We won’t be long.” 

His grandfather only needed a slight nudge to get up— he was still plenty strong but if he relaxed into the cushions too long, standing became a 5 minute ordeal of rocking back and forth to get unstuck. After Yugi helped him to his feet his grandpa led him to his room, to the tiny bookshelf against the back corner nearest the window. Plenty of notebooks and papers were crammed into it— though they were organized as well as they possibly could be. Books about the olden Gods. Ancient history, mythology and lore, and the evolution of religious depictions through art. 

Some terrible, annoying lurch in Yugi’s stomach predicted where this conversation was going and he did _not_ have time to endure his grandfather’s ramblings. They were usually a 2 hour bore. Yugi had enjoyed the bedtime stories when he was little, back then his grandpa had made the tales sound much more exciting but in his old age they only worsened because he tried to urge that they _weren’t_ bedtime stories, and he would never ever ever ever drop it. 

Which is exactly why Yugi ground his teeth when his grandfather handed him a rather thick notebook, handwritten, about the two creation Gods he was bonkers over. On the aged leather cover was a tiny insert with a yellowed slip of paper that read:

_Creation Gods Research_

_Sugoroku Mutou_

_1932 -_

Sugoroku smiled and seemed very proud of himself. Of his work and legacy. “Happy birthday, Yugi. These are… these are all my notes since I started my research. All of it, compiled into one book. I want you to have it.”

After a pregnant pause because he knew he was about to upset him, Yugi turned to put the notebook back where his grandfather had pulled it from. 

“...Grandpa, I can’t accept this. Sorry.” 

“Well, why not?” Suddenly olden hands snatched the book again and opened it up. “See? Look. Do you remember the stories from when you were a kid? Every recorded instance I found of them are in here. Pages from other books, my own findings… all of it, and I’m giving it to you. I always—”

“ _Yes_ grandpa how could I forget them? You didn’t stop the stories then, you _still_ talk about them all the time. I…” he looked away for a moment. Heavy, heavy guilt. “I know how important they are to you. I do. But I just… grandpa I’ve tried to tell you, I don’t really like hearing about them anymore. Not when you’re preaching about them being real. Think about it, grandpa. Do you see Zeus shopping at The Bon? Anubis trimming the grass at graveyards? Aphrodite just— I don’t know, in a burlesque show?”

(Shut up, God please shut me up, he looks disappointed enough

...but,) 

“It’s _ridiculous,_ grandpa. Why don’t you follow Christianity like everyone else here? Any other common religion for that fucking matter. You’re the _only_ person on Earth, aside from crazed cultists, that believes in this shit. Hell, I’d be more on your side if you were defending believing in _Santa_ right now.”

(O God if you’re real shut me the fuck up)

“...” 

Yugi closed his eyes to his grandfather looking absolutely defeated, notebook shaking in his wrinkly hands. Yugi sighed, deep breaths, no more anger. No more anger. “We have been over this so many times. I don’t care if you have your stories. Have them all you want. But I… _can’t_ have you trying to convince my friends, and Pat, that this stuff is real anymore. It’s embarrassing. I get teased all the time and it's putting you through too much stress trying to prove it all. Just… try to relax, okay? Give it a rest.” 

Sugoroku said nothing in return and looked down at his work and wept quietly. Yugi felt guilty but he was too firm in his stance to comfort him. In the years past, his grandfather had lost many good friends due to having gone “off the rocker,” according to them. A few years back Yugi thought his grandfather may have found a new partner. A nice old lady named Ruth, who was a comforting presence for Yugi during the Bad Years. When Yugi had moved all of his belongings from his father’s place to his grandfathers in three days time, at the ripe age of twelve. The words spoken by his father just another smear in the mud along with every other shitty thing he had done.

_(Oh, you snot-nosed little fuckup. Gonna end up just like_

_)_

Yugi thought about his mother. He wondered what she’d thought of grandpa’s stories. If he had told them to her as bedtime stories when she was a child too. Maybe she didn’t think much of them. Yugi couldn’t remember anything she had said about them, along with all the other memories of her that were perpetually grinding away against the sandpaper in his skull. His grandfather mostly kept to himself, then suddenly after her death he was always traveling, always hiking around. Always looking for The Place. Something to do with the Creation Gods. 

_“It’s close. I nearly found The Place. It’s in the forest, Yugi. I can feel it. Next time. I’m going to find it next time.”_

Yugi thought about his father. Frankly, the man was a scumbag, drunkard piece of shit. A shit husband and a shit parent, who was now shitting around in jail for a very very long time. A charge of second degree murder sent him there after a petty argument at a bar started a fight, the fight started a panic after it moved outside, and there was a merciless beatdown that ended with a twenty-eight year old man dead. Suddenly Yugi was in custody of his grandfather and his scumbag piece of shit father was gone. 

Whenever it all was too much and Yugi would drop a moving box and break down in tears, Ruth would whisk him away to the diner a few blocks down for ice cream faster than he could put himself back together. She was very smiley. Very normal except for her vibrant neon yellow nail polish that was always perfectly painted onto perfectly manicured nails. Yugi never saw a chip on them. Not once, he always looked when she had her hand daintily wrapped around an ice cream cone. 

He liked the normalcy of her. His mom died a long time ago which already created a divide between him and others, then his father killed a man and his grandfather was a cryptid hunter. Poor old Ruthie couldn’t wrap her head around all of it and she ended up fading out of their lives. 

Holy fuck, did Yugi miss those ice cream outings. He wanted-- oh, he wanted her to be Family so some part of his Family was Normal. But she stopped coming over one day and the rumors of the Mutou family being insane continued. Yugi tolerated it pretty well until this one kid in his 9th grade class refused to quit calling him _“Looney Yugi”_ and eventually Yugi got fed up with it and gave him an impressive black eye. 

And while he sat in detention with his overdue homework for the next few weeks at school, 

He thought: _Father._

He thought: _Jail._

“Grandpa… I’m sorry.” _I lost my temper._ He sat back on the bed and helped his grandfather do the same. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to make you sad. You just… How about we make a deal. I’ll read your works. How does that sound?” 

Sugoroku said, “But this is a deal. I lose something.” 

“Right. After today, those Gods? They become fiction. You gotta think of them as an outdated belief system, just like the rest of ‘em. Okay? It’ll take some time but I think you’ll find yourself happy you did this. No more stress over where The Place is. No more having to fight with everyone.” 

“I’m not going to change my mind.” 

“Could you at least try?” 

“No. But I won’t talk about it around you anymore.”

“I guess that works.”

Sugoroku handed Yugi the book after a long and calculated amount of time and he said, “I accept your deal on one condition.”

“Shoot.” 

“If by some chance, some day, you find The Place. Will you go there?” After a little pause he added, “I won’t tell you anything more about it after today. But if you ever find it, that is where _he_ would be. Will you go?” 

Yugi laughed, “Sure thing. If I find The Place, you have all rights to throw a billion pies in my face and tell me I was wrong a billion times more than that.” 

“And one more thing.” 

“Shoot, shoot, shoot.” 

One of Sugoroku’s old hands that wasn’t holding the book held Yugi’s gently. “I had tried for years to find The Place, but it was hidden away for a reason. That God didn’t want any stranger to find him. He’ll reach out to the one he wants to find his location. He will show them The Place in their dreams. That’s the treasure map. I… I thought it would be me. I sensed it in my dreams and my travels and I was so, _so_ certain. But maybe…” 

Yugi thought to cut him off, it sounded like the beginning of a rambling. But he supposed this was Sugoroku’s last vent so he let him continue. He was struck with unsettling familiarity but he swallowed it down.

“Maybe I was just… _close_ to the one. I realized that maybe it was you the God wanted to be found by. If he ever shows you The Place… please. You have to go.”

 _Bullshit,_ Yugi thought. If telling Yugi that he was a chosen man was a last resort from Sugoroku to try and make the stories any less obnoxious, it was wasted time for both of them.

But Yugi also thought of his dream the night before. He thought of that beast and that otherworldly force of a thing that rammed into it.

The trap door in the grass.

What could be underneath it? 

Nothing. Senseless.


	2. 1979 (II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all!  
> Quick update; I was initially planning on doing weekly updates with this story, but depending on reception, I might move that to biweekly and work on uploading it at a slower pace alongside my other stories I'm also working on.  
> Either way, uploads for this story will be on Fridays whether that be the next or the one after. 
> 
> Warnings:  
> The earlier chapters of this story focus quite a bit on Yugi's past, as well as Jou's. There are quite a few references/discussions about their father figures, therefore this chapter like the last has the continued warning of past/referenced child abuse. Nothing about these past events are explored in detail or explicitly, but rather the impact that it had on the characters. As stated before, I'd rather give too many warnings than too little, as I don't want to potentially upset any readers or catch them off guard. Also just a general heads up about the Yugi in this story-- he tends to be quite stubborn and quick to anger.
> 
> Thank you again for the support! As this is a new story and I haven't posted a new multichap in quite some time, any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Overall interest in the story will also determine at what frequency I upload chapters in order to space them properly.  
> <3

Yugi squeezed his grandfather’s hand. “Okay.” He kissed Sugoroku’s forehead and gently took the book from his hands. 

“Thank you for the birthday present, grandpa. I’ll read it real soon, okay? For now, I gotta go. I’m supposed to be meeting up with Jou and co. pretty soon. More like, 5 minutes ago actually.” 

“Alright. Don’t get too wild,” Sugoroku grunted as Yugi helped him to a stand, “you’re only turning 18, you know. Don’t go off and get caught drinking. You may be beer legal in _some_ states now, but not this one.”

“Haha. I’ll try my best.”   
After Yugi helped him get situated back on the couch, he gave his grandfather a list of all the places he’d likely be that day: Roller Ruby’s, Burger World, and Anzu’s place. 

“Now listen, I’ll… probably be home tomorrow morning. Is that alright?” Yugi stuffed his roller skates into his bag and finally, _finally_ unlocked the front door. “You call any and _all_ of those places if you need me and I’ll zoom home as fast as I can.”

Sugoroku’s eyes were glued to the television now. _Family Feud_ was starting. That one was his favorite. He grinned. “Oh, spending the night at Anzu’s?” A knowing tone that always put a little fluster into Yugi’s cheeks. 

“Jou and Honda will be there too. And before you ask for the thousandth time me and Anzu are _not_ dating.” 

“Oh, I know-- though I wish you would just ask her out. You two have always looked so cute together.”

_“Grandpa.”_ Yugi tried to make his tone sound warning but _hell_ his grandpa had no idea how badly he wanted to do just that. Anzu was… well, she was his dream girl. Absolutely. 

Friends since the beginning of high school (at one point, Anzu’s house was only a few down from his own), they ended up stumbling into each other multiple different times at Ruby’s, taking turns playing Space Invaders. Turns out, they were both beating each other’s high scores constantly. Yugi went from boasting about his status of “#1 King” to rushing over to Ruby’s after being told that once again, the fabled “AZU” once again was at the top of the charts. Finally, one day Yugi caught Anzu beating his score as he waited to play-- she _killed_ his previous record, and he watched her type in **A Z U** like she had done nothing more than check off a chore from her to-do list and walk away. It was then that he decided to chase her down and introduce himself. 

Turns out, Anzu had just recently moved from California and her family was filthy rich. At least in comparison to everyone else he was friends with. She loved games, and she was a _stunning_ fashionista. Oh-- and she already had a car. A nice one at that: an electric blue convertible Beetle. A nicer looking vehicle than _any_ car parked in Yugi’s neighborhood. Shortly after they started hanging out, Yugi _really_ started to crush on her. But frankly she was _way_ out of his league and he didn’t want to ruin the friendship they already had. Hell, he wouldn’t risk it. She was just too important for him to lose. So for the last two years or so, she hung out with Yugi and his friends at school and after. At any point, surely she could have left them to hang out with the popular kids. The hot baseball players and the cute cheerleaders. 

But she chose him. And the others in his group. Yugi… well, he just thought she was awesome. And maybe he accidentally showed that a little too much, according to all the teasing from his friends and his grandfather. 

“Well if you aren’t going to marry her, you better not be fooling around with her either. I’m not ready for great-grandchildren.” 

Oh Yugi’s face was all sorts of red now. _“Grandpa!_ That’s gross. Stop.” 

“At least be prepared, just in case. You never know, it’s your birthday! When I was your—“

“Good _-bye,_ grandpa.” 

Slam. 

“Good God,” Yugi muttered, his heart a mess, and he ran to his bike and left. But by the time he got to the end of his street, that dazzling electric blue Beetle turned the corner and halted as soon as it spotted him. 

Yugi gleamed and stumbled off of his bike, arms waving. Jou and Honda were in the back seat, waving and shouting back. 

“Happy birthday, bud!” Jou was dressed a bit spiffier than usual-- his signature “special occasion” blue denim jacket on top of a plain tee. Honda had a similar jacket, only it was grey and worn to shreds. He wore it religiously and probably would until it was nothing more than stringy bits of thread wrapped around him. His hair was slicked back and a few woven bracelets hung from his wrist. And Anzu… 

_Oh, Lord-y Lord._ She had a cashmere white halter top on, frayed high-waisted denim shorts, and _biiig_ golden hoop earrings. Cute pink tinted aviators with gold frames. Shiny gloss on her lips and blush on her cheeks. 

Yugi shook off his stupid stare and walked his bike over to the car. 

Anzu smiled at him in that way she did that left Yugi wondering what she was thinking about, and if she had noticed how terrible Yugi was at hiding his reaction to her just being so pretty all the fucking time. 

“Happy birthday, you.”

“You too,” _I’m such a fucking idiot, wrong response get your shit together,_ Yugi laughed a little and gripped his bike handles with nervous sweaty hands. “I mean-- you know. Thank you.” 

_Idiot._

“Hey, how ‘bout you go put your bike back in the garage?” Jou leaned over the edge of the car door and put on his fakest “I’m mad at you” face. “You were supposed to be at my place an _hour_ ago. I wanted to hang out-- just the three of us for a bit today.” 

Honda leaned over Jou, shoving him back into the seat in the process. “Yeah! You get all googly and different when Anzu comes over. Don’t _liiike_ it, Yugi, don’t like it.”   
Yugi shrugged and turned back towards the house, mostly to put his bike away but also to preserve his dignity and not let those two idiots see how red his face was getting. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. How ‘bout you quit snuggling up to Jou like you’re crushin’ on him and tell that to me again.” 

A sudden mumble of “Get off of me!” from Jou, a few sounds of pushing and shoving. Yugi smiled to himself. _Nice one. Nice save._

“And while you’re at it, how ‘bout you guys treat me like a normal fucking person?” Anzu’s voice, her bold and vibrant sense of self breaking past the quiet and collected outer layer.

“Haha! Tell that to Yugi _first.”_

Oh, fuck you guys, Yugi thought. Even the _slightest_ give that he might like Anzu sent Jou and Honda snooping and spying. 

But Yugi was okay with just being friends. He genuinely, honest to God, was. However, if Anzu liked him too… well, that would be really fucking sweet. A bonus level to an already great adventure, maybe.

Without a suitable response because defensiveness was picked apart as finely as confession, Yugi rushed to throw his bike into the stuffy garage, and Anzu pulled into the driveway.

She smiled at him. “Ready?” 

He smiled back at her. “Sure.” 

As soon as he got into the passenger seat, he smelled Anzu’s pleasant perfume she always wore, followed by Honda’s less-attractive scent as he leaned forward and embraced Yugi from the back seat and shook him about. 

“We’re just playing with you guys,” Honda said in a near whine. “Y’know we love you.” 

“Sure,” Yugi replied with a slight chuckle and buckled in. 

He forgot about the nightmare. About his grandfather’s obsessions, that God-forsaken beast that had tried to tear him apart. They were urgent thoughts clawing to make their way into his priority list, but he wanted nothing more and no one else other than the three people that were in the car with him. Things were good.

And that was why things felt so dreadfully fleeting.

* * *

Every other weekend, Yugi & co. would head down to Roller Ruby’s for a group day of fun and rollerblading. Once summer hit, visiting Ruby’s became a bit of a problem-- none of them were working and their pennies were running thin. A few times, Anzu pitched in a little to ensure they all could go. Jonouchi, especially, appreciated the help. They never hung out at Yugi’s place because Yugi was too embarrassed of it, but Jou’s was an absolute no-no. His dad was just like Yugi’s: a piece of shit. The only difference being, Jou’s didn’t kill anyone so he was still there. His dad got violent when he was drunk and his sister lived with his mom. It was all really bad, really complicated, and Jou seldom wanted to talk about it. Yugi wished that he would, but he understood. Talk spread fast and having life shit on you for years was a depressing and unwanted identity. Jou had no allowance and any money he earned by doing work for neighbors was quickly stolen by his father for booze and drugs and whatever else he wanted. So any time Yugi called and Jou said he couldn’t afford to do something or he said an obviously fabricated excuse, Yugi would start finding loose cash because _dammit_ Jou was gonna have a good day. 

Jou was quite a teaser (and a bit of a bully to Yugi for a long while) but his heart was gold underneath all that rubble his father buried him in. Yugi undeniably loved Jou and wanted him around for the rest of his life, more than anyone. But he sure as hell wouldn’t tell Jou that. Maybe. He just worried it sounded a little too intense. And maybe a bit romantic-- and he wasn’t sure how Jou would feel about _that._ Especially since… Jou was the only one of his friends-- no, the only _anybody_ that knew about a particularly big secret of Yugi’s. How he sometimes…

“Oi! What’s takin’ you so long?” 

Jou’s voice snapped Yugi’s attention back to the lights and the loud disco music. He sat down next to Yugi and tapped the back wheels of his skates on the overly decorated carpet. “You didn’t say much of a word on the drive. It’s your birthday, dude. Something happen? Argue with the old man?”

Yugi shook his head and returned to lacing his skates. Paused for a moment. “Well,” he chuckled halfheartedly. “I guess. Kind of. Finally put all the ‘Creation God’ bullshit to rest.” 

“Damn. How’d he take that?” 

First shoe laced. Onto the next one. “...Not well.” Yugi pursed his lips. “Not well at all, actually. He cried a little bit. As a birthday present, he tried gifting me some of his old crazy journal stuff and… I don’t know. If it was anything else-- hell, it could have been a _Tootsie Roll_ and I would’ve been happier.” 

Jou shrugged. “Well, I mean… I’d at _least_ read the stuff if it’d make him happy. He _is_ very good to you, Yugi. Think of it as a ‘thank you’ for taking care of you after… you know. Your dad, and all.” 

“...Yeah. I mean, I get that and I feel the same way. I just… worry that if I _tell_ him that I read it, he will forget all about how I hate hearing about that stuff and he will just go on and on and on.”

“Let him.”

Caught off guard, Yugi looked at Jou with a bit of insult and astonishment. Perhaps tied his shoe a little too tight in the process. “What do you mean _let_ him? Jou you know how many people walked out of his life because they thought--”

“That he was nuts? Yeah. Lots. But, I mean… he’s pursuing what makes him happy, isn’t he? I don’t think I know _anyone_ who is that dedicated to something that didn’t have to do with, I don’t know… their kids, their career, you know-- the boring shit. If I’m being honest, Yugi, I think you’re being a little selfish about this whole thing.”

_Maybe I am._ “I am _not,”_ Yugi shot back. “I’m looking out for him too, you know.” 

Jou laughed at him and Yugi felt his face turn red. “So he’s a second thought, then. Y’know your grandpa is as aware of people leaving him as you are, right? I’m sure he doesn’t like it. Nobody would. But he’s choosing his life work and passion over that. That’s gotta mean _something._ Maybe he just... made the wrong friends, or something. I’m sure someone out there would love to hear his stories. It’s a shame that person isn’t you.”

Yugi stood abruptly, fists clenching uncomfortably with sweat. He was getting angry, God he hated how easily he got angry. “Yeah, a real shame that I don’t want my _only_ parental figure to stress himself into the grave hunting for fucking cryptids. Shame on me, Jou.”

“Hey,” Jou sighed with a bit of warning. “Don’t get mad at me. There’s not an easy answer to the solution, bud. But I think you just… care a little too much about how others perceive you and your home life. We’re growing up, Yugi. This isn’t 9th grade. Nobody is calling you ‘Looney Yugi’ anymore.” 

“Says you.” Yugi felt words boiling up from his throat that he knew he’d regret but he said them anyway; he couldn’t help it he thought. “When’re you gonna finally call the cops the next time your dad goes crazy and hurts you? What’s holding _you_ back? Societal perception? Same shit, Jou, same shit.”   
_“Not,”_ Jou spat and he stepped in front of Yugi’s path and stopped him with a deadly hurt look in his eye, “the same shit, Yugi. You know that. You’ve _been_ where I am. You _know_ that what I have is incomparable to your petty problem with your grandfather. You’ve had worse, Yugi. You and I both know you never tried to get help for the exact same shit you’re getting on me for because it's complicated. You take that back.”

_I’m being a fucking idiot._ Yugi looked at the carpet in shame and humility and tried to step past but Jou blocked the way again. 

“Take it back, Yugi.” 

_I’m being a fucking asshole but God I can’t stop I cant stop_ Yugi silently tried to step the other direction and sneak past Jou but was met with another block and a light push to the shoulders-- gentle enough that Yugi was able to catch his balance even with the skates on.

“Take it _back!”_ Jou shouted, and even with the music loud at least a dozen heads turned. Anzu and Honda, who were chatting over by the rink, included. 

(Take it back, you piece of shit) 

Yugi bit his lip and felt cold sweat. 

(You’re worth about as much as a snot rag, take it back. Jou’s right.)

“Sorry,” Yugi muttered. His eyes followed the blue and purple lights that were making their way across the carpet and up the walls. Disco ball in the center of the ceiling beams. Damn, he sure wished he had kept his mouth shut. He and Jou would be roller skating right about now if he had. 

The angry aura around Jou seemed to dissolve away. They were both like that-- quick to anger, quick to forgive and smile. 

“Do you take it back?” 

“...Yeah. Sorry.” 

Jou offered a sad smile as a response.

“Can we go skating now?” Yugi asked. He still kept his eyes focused on the floor. Things were too frustrating, it was his _birthday,_ and he cried way too easily. He’d sooner walk into hell than let Jou see him cry over shit like this. 

“Yeah, bud. Sorry I yelled at you, it’s just…” 

“Something I really shouldn’t have said. Yeah.” 

“Yeah.” 

Jou patted his shoulder and Yugi blinked his thoughts and tears away. 

“Hey, Jou?” 

“Yeah buddy?” 

“Tonight. I wanna talk to you about something.” 

“What about?” 

_“A dream I had.”_ Is what Yugi wanted to say. But suddenly that idea sounded incredibly stupid. Maybe later Yugi would just pitch it as a new campaign for an RPG. Maybe. 

Instead, Yugi said: “Nothing. Sorry.”

“...You sure? I know I was mad but you can tell me anything. Just… don’t get mean at me. I worry about you.”

“It’s nothing, really. Promise.”

“You’re lyin’. But alright.”

“Thank you.”


End file.
